The Photographer's Ephemeris
4+

It's all about the light

Screenshots

Description

"Head and shoulders above the crowd is The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Odd name, great app." - National Geographic

"One of the most useful apps for any nature photographer" - Outdoor Photographer Magazine

"It worked perfectly. The program was dead on…" - National Geographic

"One of the most powerful photography applications that I've seen, one that you'll be using for years and years." - AdoramaTV

The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) helps plan outdoor photography shoots in natural light, particularly landscape and urban scenes. It's a map-centric Sun, Moon and Milky Way calculator: see how the light will fall on the land, day or night, for any location on earth.

Whether you need at-a-glance information on today's sun, moon and Milky Way data for your current location, or need to plan a precise alignment of the full moon for a future shoot, TPE has the tools you need. The combination of augmented reality, line-of-sight analysis and visual search supports the most sophisticated photo planning needs.

Night mode features a 3D representation of the Milky Way, pole stars and major constellations directly over the map, so you can easily visualize exactly how to align your shot.

Research and save your own list of favorite photographic locations, using 7 different map types (including 2 offline maps) and save them in your locations list. Favorite locations are always displayed right on the map.

Advanced features including visual sun and moon search, automatic time zone and elevation detection, correction for atmospheric refraction and height above the horizon, ensuring that you have the best possible information for planning your shoot.

You can even determine when the sun or moon will rise from behind nearby hills and mountains.

- Line of sight analysis- Find when the sun/moon will appear from behind a hill or ridge- Advanced visual sun and moon search- Azimuth or altitude search priority- New crescent moon visibility- Distance to the visible horizon

Sunrise/sunset color forecasts are available with a subscription to the Skyfire service, available via in-app purchase.

Note:

- Maps and elevation-based calculations require a data connection, except for offline map tiles previously downloaded and stored on your device- Topographic map data is available only between 60°N and 47°S- Availability of map types is subject to change, due to 3rd party map service availability, terms or conditions- The app itself supports only English language at present- Augmented reality requires an iPhone 6s (or later), iPad Pro or 2017 model and iOS 11 or later

- Adjustable scale for sun/moon (1×, 2×, 4×, 8×)- Moon is shown with accurate illumination for its current phase- "Light ball" shows color temperature and direction on an 18% grey sphere- Azimuth/altitude indicators point directly to the sun, moon and galactic centre- Live time tracking for simple manual compass calibration- Screen capture button added to AR view (for convenience)- Altitude and azimuth lines highlighted when sun or moon pass by (rise/set/transit and twilight phase boundaries for the sun)- Haptic feedback (vibrate) as sun and moon rise set

As with all real world AR apps, the device compass may not always precisely aligned with true north:

- ALWAYS double check the shown bearing- Stay well away from metal objects (e.g. >10 feet from cars)- Do the figure-of-eight thing to calibrate your device's compass- Reset tracking as necessary or manually adjust to match the current sun or moon position (use live time tracking and drag left/right on the screen)

- Adjustable scale for sun/moon (1×, 2×, 4×, 8×)- Moon is shown with accurate illumination for its current phase- "Light ball" shows color temperature and direction on an 18% grey sphere- Azimuth/altitude indicators point directly to the sun, moon and galactic centre- Live time tracking for simple manual compass calibration- Screen capture button added to AR view (for convenience)- Altitude and azimuth lines highlighted when sun or moon pass by (rise/set/transit and twilight phase boundaries for the sun)- Haptic feedback (vibrate) as sun and moon rise set

As with all real world AR apps, the device compass may not always precisely aligned with true north:

- ALWAYS double check the shown bearing- Stay well away from metal objects (e.g. >10 feet from cars)- Do the figure-of-eight thing to calibrate your device's compass- Reset tracking as necessary or manually adjust to match the current sun or moon position (use live time tracking and drag left/right on the screen)

3.13.1

Suggestions, feedback, help? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com

3.13

Dec 12, 2016

3.13- New tile server for Open Street Maps (this had to be switched due to changes in the terms of use by the previous provider)- Bug fix: stars now default to on in Night Mode for new app installs

Note: if you had OSM map tiles previously saved for offline use, you will need to view them afresh while online due to the change in the map tile server.

Background audio: the issue with background audio being disabled is fixed in iOS 10.2. Please update both iOS and TPE to resolve this one.

Suggestions, feedback, help? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com

3.12.1

Nov 1, 2016

3.12.1

- Fix: crash in iOS10 when compass calibration screen is displayed and Night Mode is enabled- Fix: Skyfire subscription expiry date not displayed for some users in certain Locales- Fix: favorite location call out title on Google Maps could display the incorrect location title

3.12

- NEW: Location Synchronization is now free - get started today and synch your saved locations with all iOS devices and our companion web app- NEW: Updated UI for iPad: we now use the same tab bar as on iPhone, and Locations and Visual Search use Split views to allow you to access your data more easily- NEW: Multitasking support on iPad (to try this, drag inwards from right edge of the screen and choose TPE, or with TPE open, do the same with another app such as Safari)- NEW: On iPhone (except 4S) in Geodetics mode, the sun/moon chart is now displayed below the geodetics chart so you can adjust time of day while viewing the changing altitude of the sun/moon- NEW: Link to the new online Help Center in the Help screen- Further updates for iOS 10- Updated SDKs- Bug fixes

3.12

Oct 12, 2016

3.12

- NEW: Location Synchronization is now free - get started today and synch your saved locations with all iOS devices and our companion web app- NEW: Updated UI for iPad: we now use the same tab bar as on iPhone, and Locations and Visual Search use Split views to allow you to access your data more easily- NEW: Multitasking support on iPad (to try this, drag inwards from right edge of the screen and choose TPE, or with TPE open, do the same with another app such as Safari)- NEW: On iPhone (except 4S) in Geodetics mode, the sun/moon chart is now displayed below the geodetics chart so you can adjust time of day while viewing the changing altitude of the sun/moon- NEW: Link to the new online Help Center in the Help screen- Further updates for iOS 10- Updated SDKs- Bug fixes

3.11.1

- Skyfire now supports Europe, with coverage from Iceland to Azerbaijan! Free 30-day trial (includes both North America and Europe) - send us your field reports so we can keep improving the forecasts.- New Open Street Map map style- Higher maximum zoom level and retina map tiles for Open Street Map and Open Cycle Map- In geodetics mode, "reset secondary pin" now recentres the grey pin (unless the red pin is already centred, in which case the grey pin is placed at its default position due east of the map centre)- Fix "recentre primary pin button" when geodetics is enabled (was broken in 3.10)- Updated SDKs

IMPORTANT: with this update, any previously cached offline map tiles will no longer be available due to changes in the map tile sources. Please be sure to view any map OSM and OCM tiles you need BEFORE going offline.

3.11

Jul 4, 2016

3.11

- Skyfire now supports Europe, with coverage from Iceland to Azerbaijan! Free 30-day trial (includes both North America and Europe) - send us your field reports so we can keep improving the forecasts.- New Open Street Map map style- Higher maximum zoom level and retina map tiles for Open Street Map and Open Cycle Map- In geodetics mode, "reset secondary pin" now recentres the grey pin (unless the red pin is already centred, in which case the grey pin is placed at its default position due east of the map centre)- Fix "recentre primary pin button" when geodetics is enabled (was broken in 3.10)- Updated SDKs

IMPORTANT: with this update, any previously cached offline map tiles will no longer be available due to changes in the map tile sources. Please be sure to view any map OSM and OCM tiles you need BEFORE going offline.

3.10

Jun 2, 2016

3.10- Night mode now displays the angle between the band of the Milky Way and the horizon at the lower right corner of the Milky Way graphical representation. 90 degrees indicates the band rises vertically from the horizon into the sky, passing directly overhead the observer. (iPhone 6 or later and recent model iPads only)- If geodetics are enabled, tapping the reticle now re-centers the secondary (grey) pin- Moon illumination or nearby moon phase event data is now shown for moon transit events (convenient for checking for dark skies in night photography)- Tolerance for rise/set sightline checks increased from 0.25 to 0.4 degrees to reduce probability of false positives- Improved detection of memory related app terminations

Send us your feedback and any questions you have: support@photoephemeris.com

3.9

Mar 14, 2016

We've made it easier to know for sure if you're able to view the moment of sunrise/moonrise!

Rise/set is always determined relative to the unobstructed horizon. If there's a hill in the way, you won't see sunrise.

In 3.9, on tapping a rise/set event in the timeline, TPE will check the sightline to a distance of 100 miles. If there's an obstruction such as a mountain, hill or ridge in the way, TPE will tell you.

Tap the timeline entry again to view the sightline using geodetics: the grey pin will be set to the exact direction at a distance of your choice. (You can use Visual Search to find out when the sun or moon will appear above an obstruction, such as a hill, ridge or building.)

3.9- Tap a rise/set or crescent moon visibility event on the timeline, and the sightline will be checked to confirm if the event is blocked by obstacles in the terrain or not- Tap again to view the sightline using TPE's geodetics tool- Tooltips displayed when certain functionality is used for the first time- Implement scale to fit for altitude chart (geodetics) - tap to toggle scaling- Bug fix: small changes in primary pin elevation were not being updated to the user interface (it would incorrectly display '?') - not so great for users in the Netherlands!

Video tutorials are available at https://vimeo.com/channels/photoephemerisforios and from the Help page within the app.

What else would you like to see in the app? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com and let us know!

3.8

Feb 2, 2016

3.8- On iOS 9.1 and above, both Skyfire and Light Pollution map layers are now visible at all zoom levels when using Google maps.- Solar and lunar eclipses and meteor showers are now indexed in Spotlight on iO9. After running the app, try searching for 'Lunar eclipse 2018' on your device, and you should see a link directly back to TPE that will take directly to the required date and time of the event.- Adds support for Handoff (currently supports native-to-native and native-to-web-app)- Adds support for Universal Links: if you're running iOS 9, any link to the TPE web app will open directly in the TPE iOS app, if installed- Light pollution max opacity has been reduced from 0.55 to 0.45 to aid map legibility- Fixes "off-by-one" day error with Skyfire favourite location forecasts in Central and Eastern time zones that could occur just after midnight for 1 or 2 hours.

If you're not familiar with Handoff, details are here: https://support.apple.com/kb/ph18754?locale=en_US

Video tutorials are available at https://vimeo.com/channels/photoephemerisforios and from the Help page within the app.

What else would you like to see in the app? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com and let us know!

3.7

Dec 21, 2015

- Adds support for TPE's sister app "The Photographer's Transit" on iPhone- Choose "Open in Photo Transit" from the Action/Share menu (top right on the map page in iPhone) to view your current shot in TPT- Map no longer rotates back to north on cancelling track heading

You can find out more about The Photographer's Transit at http://phototransit.com

Video tutorials are available at https://vimeo.com/channels/photoephemerisforios and from the Help page within the app.

What else would you like to see in the app? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com and let us know!

3.6.1

3.6- Touch the stars! In night mode, tap a star to see its common name, Bayer designation and current apparent altitude and azimuth- Stars can be enabled or disabled using a new map overlay option (the Milky Way is always displayed in Night mode)- Rise/set captions in timeline are shown in italics if elevation at horizon is set- Elevation at horizon page now shows the dip of the horizon (positive value indicates a dip, e.g. how much below the horizon you can see on account of being elevated above it such as when standing on a high cliff looking out to sea)- 12-month subscription options added for Skyfire- Improved iOS9 compatibility- Bug fixes

To enable Night Mode:

- Tap the Date at the top of the screen- Choose the moon + stars option under Mode- Night mode is selected

The Bayer designation for a star is formed of a greek letter (α, β, γ, where α is the brightest star in the constellation), followed by the constellation name (in the Latin genitive form), e.g. Sirius is known as α Canis Majoris, the brightest star in Canis Major.

Note: this update also migrates the stored locations database into a shared app group folder for compatibility with future planned updates. A backup of your locations is made as part of the update process. You can access this backup if required via iTunes on your desktop or laptop machine.

What else would you like to see in the app? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com and let us know!

3.6

Oct 27, 2015

3.6- Touch the stars! In night mode, tap a star to see its common name, Bayer designation and current apparent altitude and azimuth- Rise/set captions in timeline are shown in italics if elevation at horizon is set- Elevation at horizon page now shows the dip of the horizon (positive value indicates a dip, e.g. how much below the horizon you can see on account of being elevated above it such as when standing on a high cliff looking out to sea)- 12-month subscription options added for Skyfire- Improved iOS9 compatibility- Bug fixes

Stars can be enabled or disabled in Night Mode using a new map overlay option, but unfortunately a bug slipped through the net: the app will crash if you try to use the stars overlay without FIRST putting the app into Night Mode (see instructions below on how to do this). We have a fix en route to Apple already - apologies for the slip up.

To enable Night Mode:

- Tap the Date at the top of the screen- Choose the moon + stars option under Mode- Night mode is selected

The Bayer designation for a star is formed of a greek letter (α, β, γ, where α is the brightest star in the constellation), followed by the constellation name (in the Latin genitive form), e.g. Sirius is known as α Canis Majoris, the brightest star in Canis Major.

Note: this update also migrates the stored locations database into a shared app group folder for compatibility with future planned updates. A backup of your locations is made as part of the update process. You can access this backup if required via iTunes on your desktop or laptop machine.

What else would you like to see in the app? Write to us at support@photoephemeris.com and let us know!

Please send us your feedback at support@photoephemeris.com. And if you're enjoying TPE, a review on the App Store really helps us continue to develop the app.

Ratings and Reviews

4.8 out of 5

212 Ratings

212 Ratings

Nothing else like it!

Nov 21, 2017

Sue D Nimh

Extremely useful app, if you want to plan your photography for a trip or event. Pick your location-instantly you see sun and moon rise and set times. Tap on the date to pick a future date. Swipe a finger across the display at the bottom to see the direction of sun or moon overlaid on the map-satellite photo help plan the shot, and even tells you if terrain will obstruct your view of eg sunset. I have used it to choose location for a one time trip to the Mackinaw Bridge, as well as look to see where is the closest place to travel for the next solar eclipse.

If you care about getting the most good locations for your photo trip, hands down this is the one to get!

Nothing else like it!

Nov 21, 2017

Sue D Nimh

Extremely useful app, if you want to plan your photography for a trip or event. Pick your location-instantly you see sun and moon rise and set times. Tap on the date to pick a future date. Swipe a finger across the display at the bottom to see the direction of sun or moon overlaid on the map-satellite photo help plan the shot, and even tells you if terrain will obstruct your view of eg sunset. I have used it to choose location for a one time trip to the Mackinaw Bridge, as well as look to see where is the closest place to travel for the next solar eclipse.

If you care about getting the most good locations for your photo trip, hands down this is the one to get!

Daily checker

Jan 5, 2018

Hitecdan

I use this app everyday to check conditions. The apps has a learning curve but once you start using it it becomes second nature. Excellent for planning photo trips and locations. I really like the night time/Milky Way mode and the optional Skyfire feature. Highly recommend this app if your into landscape photography. Only issues I’ve had is the clunky sign in process for Skyfire. Usually have to turn the WiFi off on my iPhone in order to sign in.

Developer Response

Feb 2, 2018

Hi - thanks for your review!

Please contact us regarding Skyfire sign in (support@photoephemeris.com) - if you need to turn WiFi off, that could indicate a problem accessing our servers from your network. It's not something we've had any other reports of, but I'd be happy to investigate.

Daily checker

Jan 5, 2018

Hitecdan

I use this app everyday to check conditions. The apps has a learning curve but once you start using it it becomes second nature. Excellent for planning photo trips and locations. I really like the night time/Milky Way mode and the optional Skyfire feature. Highly recommend this app if your into landscape photography. Only issues I’ve had is the clunky sign in process for Skyfire. Usually have to turn the WiFi off on my iPhone in order to sign in.

Developer Response

Feb 2, 2018

Hi - thanks for your review!

Please contact us regarding Skyfire sign in (support@photoephemeris.com) - if you need to turn WiFi off, that could indicate a problem accessing our servers from your network. It's not something we've had any other reports of, but I'd be happy to investigate.

Great app but...

Jan 25, 2018

magri

It works very well for sun/moon alignment but don’t rely on this app for sky colors. It fails quite a lot. The days that the app was showing very intense colors on the map I went out to photograph and it ended up being very boring and no much colors and the days that shows no colors at all, like white, I look outside my window and the sky and clouds were totally pink and beautiful colors. Trust in your instincts and go out when you think there’s a chance to be nice. Don’t trust this app for that!

Developer Response

Feb 2, 2018

Sorry the Skyfire forecasts have not always worked out for you. They are dependent on the accuracy of the underlying weather forecasts, which aren't always reliable.

Since your review, the Skyfire team has doubled the update frequency for sunrise forecasts in the 36 hours preceding the event, which I hope will improve performance.

Please do submit field reports via the app so we can continue to improve.

Great app but...

Jan 25, 2018

magri

It works very well for sun/moon alignment but don’t rely on this app for sky colors. It fails quite a lot. The days that the app was showing very intense colors on the map I went out to photograph and it ended up being very boring and no much colors and the days that shows no colors at all, like white, I look outside my window and the sky and clouds were totally pink and beautiful colors. Trust in your instincts and go out when you think there’s a chance to be nice. Don’t trust this app for that!

Developer Response

Feb 2, 2018

Sorry the Skyfire forecasts have not always worked out for you. They are dependent on the accuracy of the underlying weather forecasts, which aren't always reliable.

Since your review, the Skyfire team has doubled the update frequency for sunrise forecasts in the 36 hours preceding the event, which I hope will improve performance.

Please do submit field reports via the app so we can continue to improve.